Deviating heavily from a conservative approach to free agency once Joe Burrow arrived, the Bengals are likely to revert to that strategy this offseason. With Burrow becoming eligible for an extension, the team will not be looking to infuse its roster with a host of outside signings.
The Bengals loaded up their roster in recent years, primarily on defense from 2020-21 and then focusing on their offensive line last year, through free agency. The franchise’s focus will now shift to paying Burrow and attempting to take care of the core it built.
“The cap will obviously start affecting us,” Bengals pro scouting director Steven Radicevic said, via The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. (subscription required). “We are not going to be able to go out and spend and pay a bunch of guys. We are going to try to keep our own guys.
“The last couple of years we’ve been able to add in free agency and add some pieces places where we were missing guys and add some depth, add starters through free agency. Now it’s going to be keeping our guys, sustain the roster we have and then build through the draft and waiver claims.”
The Bengals have two of their key Day 2 selections in recent years up for free agency — Jessie Bates, Germaine Pratt — and a few of their outside-hire starters (Vonn Bell, Hayden Hurst, Eli Apple) are also just less than a month away from hitting the market. The team is in good position, cap-wise, holding $35.7MM — sixth-most in the league — but the priority will be attempting to re-sign some of these players and planning for the future.
Burrow’s extension has long been expected to come in north of $50MM per year. That will mark a considerable difference from the second contracts the team gave to Carson Palmer and Andy Dalton, though the cap has, save for 2021, continued its annual climb. It will rise nearly $17MM from last year, to $224.8MM, in 2023. That will help franchises, but the Bengals will also have Tee Higgins, Logan Wilson, D.J. Reader and Chidobe Awuzie entering contract years in 2023.
In 2020, the Bengals gave Reader and Trae Waynes big-ticket contracts, which accompanied Burrow’s rookie pact. The team also added Bell on a three-year, $18MM deal. In 2021, the team continued to invest in its defense by adding Awuzie, Trey Hendrickson and Mike Hilton. Key performers Apple, Larry Ogunjobi and Riley Reiff joined on one-year deals; Radicevic noted the team will probably look to using the one-year contract to acquire some outside help this year. The Bengals predictably operated aggressively to address their offensive line last year, bringing in Ted Karras, Alex Cappa and La’el Collins. The latter two’s injuries, along with Awuzie’s, played a significant role in the team falling just short in its bid for back-to-back Super Bowl appearances.
“It’s more just the cap situation in terms of maybe we can’t go out and afford those high-dollar free agents or as many of those as we would have if there wasn’t going to be certain players that will eat up a good chunk of the cap,” Bengals director of college scouting Mike Potts said, via Dehner. “That puts an emphasis on retaining our own guys and keeping that chemistry in the locker room going. You are going to have to make some tough decisions here and there.”
While the Bengals used this batch of signings to complete the best two-year stretch in franchise history this past season, the team will now attempt to keep going with Burrow in a new NFL tax bracket. Although Burrow can be kept on his rookie deal through 2024, the Bengals want to pay him this year. A post-Year 3 extension, save for a couple of recent examples, represents standard operating procedure for teams with marquee quarterbacks.
It will be interesting to see how Cincinnati proceeds in March, as it attempts to manage future costs with immediate needs. Though, the Bengals are in fairly good shape in terms of roster deficiencies.
They really dont have to do anything and still be contenders
For this year. Next year it’s going to stop costing big money.
I’m going to be interested to see how they are able to keep all these young stars happy.
And they will still choke 0 superbowls baby let’s goooo who Dey !!
They got a good foundation in free agency last year/the year prior, which is rare for a team. Most of the guys that they signed will possibly end up with extensions; at least that’s the way that it looks pre-draft. Cincy has a few needs (along the line at a couple of places, and at corner, for instance), but those are things that can be filled with a couple of good selections. There’s not a need right now for them to sign anyone major. They did for a change the last two years, and they did a pretty good job.
The only urgent need they will have to address in free agency is at RT. Collins was bad before he was injured. They just need to move on from him. Bates and Pratt are gone, they’ve planned for this and will replace from within. I expect Bell to be back and possibly Apple (in his normal #4 role and contract). I could definitely see Hurst returning as well.
I expect Burrow’s extension to get done sooner than later, so the front office can start planning future cap decisions around his numbers. Bengals will be looking for 10 years. I wouldn’t be surprised if Higgins does a 3-4 extension, but also wouldn’t be surprised if he’s on the franchise tag next year. They need to move on from Mixon. At the very least demand a serious pay cut. It’s outside of their operating norms..but he’s just not worth it. They can find a RB who better fits their needs for half the price.
Joe Burrow’s massive contract extension is going to hamstring the Bengals for the next 10+ years. Bengals fans can only hope they have a GM that is competent enough to keep them competitive once that happens.
Why not? This year’s team wasn’t as good as last year’s team. So they plan to lay low for next season? Sounds like Cincy to me.
This year’s team was much better than last year’s team. They’re more focused on re-signing/extending their own guys rather than needing to outside for major free agents. Not sure what you’re alluding to.
If last season they were in the SB and this season they werent… they can’t be “much better”
Thank you!
10-7 last year, 12-4 this year. That sounds a lot better to me.
SB vs Championship game is better? Regular season record means nothing, less seeding for the playoffs. That’s how I’ve always viewed it. Division titles and SB’s are my measurements. And when you’re so close, now is not the time to be patient.
I’d trade Tee for either high end OL or for picks. Clearly Joe still takes a beating. Their OL upgrades didn’t pan out. 124 sacks in 3 years is not success in any measurement.
They’re a good team whatever the yard stick is and to me, Burrow is among the top 2 or 3 QB’s in the league. I get what you’re saying about O-line help. Imagine him behind an Eagles-like line
But trading one of their young gun receivers? Disagree
I hate rival AFC North teams—I’m a Steelers fan after all—but credit where it’s due. If they can add a few small parts and somehow rein in contracts in the next couple years, they’re here to stay as a contender
We’ll see. I do agree Tee is a good WR, but a team doesn’t need 2 WR1’s as he’s been labeled.
Joe could really wreck the QB market if he takes a team friendly deal. It could reset the entire league.